Madrid peg Barca back, down Getafe

Real Madrid kept the pace up with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the top of the Primera Division by strolling to a 3-0 victory at Getafe , thanks to goals by Jese, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric.

With both their rivals winning the day before, the pressure was on Carlo Anelotti's side to pick up the three points from a stadium they had lost at last season, but Jese settled any nerves they might have had with an early goal.

Benzema doubled their advantage on 27 minutes and midway through the second half Luka Modric got the goal his recent form had merited.

The result means Madrid stay level on points with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the top of the table, second to the Catalans on goal difference.

With Cristiano Ronaldo serving the second game of a three-match suspension, Madrid lined up with the same attacking triumvirate of Gareth Bale, Benzema and Jese that had beaten Villarreal 4-2 the previous weekend.

And 20-year-old academy product Jese needed just five minutes to open the scoring, receiving the ball out left before cutting inside and curling it into the opposite corner to score his fifth goal in as many starts.

Getafe got a rare sniff at the Madrid goal midway through the first half, a defensive slip by Madrid allowing Adrian Colunga to run through the middle of the pitch alone, but did not accelerate fast enough and Pepe caught up with him in time to make the decisive tackle.

And the hosts were punished moments later, Angel Di Maria spraying a pass from the left wing which landed at the feet of Benzema, who took one touch before firing past Miguel Angel Moya.

Bale should have joined his strike partners in getting on the scoresheet before the break, but miscued at the near post after Benzema had done all the hard work, weaving his way past two Getafe defenders before laying the ball off to the Welshman, who shot into the side netting with his preferred left foot.

Madrid dropped their intensity after the break and Getafe were afforded several half chances, the best of which came to Juan Rodriguez, who was unable to take advantage after receiving a cross from Pedro Leon inside the Madrid box.

Modric then gifted Di Maria an opportunity to get the third, but the Argentinian got the ball caught under his feet as he tried to control the Croatian's through ball.

So it was left to the former Tottenham midfielder to get the final goal of the game, striking low into the bottom corner from the edge of the area on 66 minutes.

Madrid remain the only Primera Division team to have not lost a game in 2014, while things are less rosy for Getafe, their fans booing their team at the final whistle and calling for coach Luis Garcia, who has not won a league game since November, to be sacked.